Ratchet mechanism for operating bench vises



April '14, 1931. K. SCHMID RATCHET MECHANISM FOR OP RATING BENCH VIBES Fi'led Dec. 1'7, 1928 2 sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEY5 mam l6 /////A Aprll 14, 1931. K. SCHMID RATCHET MECHANISM FOR OPERATING BENCH VISES Filed Dec. 1'7. 1928 gsheets-sheet 2 IN V EN TGR. Karl 41W BY C ATTORNEKS Patented Apr. 14, 1931 l FFICE rare KARL SCHMID, OF COLUMBIA, PENNSYLVANIA RATCHET MECHANISM FUR OPERAEING BENCH VISES Application filed December 17, 1928.

This invention is a mechanical power apparatus especially designed for operating a bench vise or the like and includes means for converting intermittent reciprocatory motion into intermittent rotary motion.

More particularly the invention comprises a ratchet mechanism associated with a rotary shaft and arranged to be operated by a foot or hand lever for the purpose of imparting a step-by-step rotary movement to the shaft.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, l provide a gear wheel keyed to the shaft and arranged for engagement with some other mechanical element of an apparatus to be operated such as, for instance, the movable jaw of a bench vise.

The invention has for one of its objects the provision of a mechanical power apparatus of the type indicated by which a sucsession of relatively short strokes of either a hand or foot lever may be caused to advance a power shaft step by step, and wherein means are included for locking the shaft against retrograde movement during the interval between successive power strokes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanical power device including a rotary pawl and ratchet mechanism wherein means for retracting the pawl after each power stroke is mounted on and concentric with the driven power shaft.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pawl and ratchet mechanism including a driving pawl and a locking pawl with a release lever arranged to operatively engage both of said pawls for simultaneously releasing the same when it is desired to allow the power shaft to rotate freely in either direction.

A still further object of the invention is Serial No. 326,633.

ti on operatively associated with a bench vise.

In the drawings,

l ig. 1 is a side elevation of the invention as used with a bench vise, parts of the latter being broke away;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 with the movable jaw of the vise omitted, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detailed view of the pawl releasing lever.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numorals designate like parts throughout the numeral 1 indicates generally thetop of a work bench or similar support. To the under-side of the top 1, a pair of brackets 22a are secured, said brackets extending forwardly and upwardly as shown more clearly in Fig. 1. The brackets are arranged in spaced relation as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and each bracket terminates in a bearing member respectively, said bearings being horizont'ally aligned to receive and support for rotation therein, a shaft l. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the shaft t extends beyond both hearing members El -3a, terminating at one end in an annular flange 5. The opposite end 6 of the shaft is threaded and provided with a nut 7 for the purpose of preventing accidental displacement of the shaft with respect to the bearings. A sleeve 8 is mounted upon the shaft l between the bearing 3a and the flange and the coil spring 9 mounted concentrically uponthe shaft beyond the sleevemfunctions to urge the sleeve into engagement with the bearing 3a. Attention is here directed to the opposed inclined cam faces 10 and the abutting shoulders 11 carried by the adjacent faces of the sleeve 8 and the bearing member 3a. The operation and function of these elements will be hereinafter fully described.

The sleeve 8 car 'ies aradially extending arm 12, lying to the rear of the shaft l and between the shaft 4 and the front edge of the bench top 1. The arm 12 terminates in an eye member 13 in hich a stub shaft 1% is fixedly secured by set screw or the like 15. As shown in Fig. 3 the stub shaft 14: lies parallel to the IOU CJI

main shaft 4 and between the main shaft and the front edge of the support 1, while from Figs. 1 and 2 it will be seen that the stub shaft also lies somewhat above the main shaft 4.

The stub shaft 14 extends beyond the bearing member 3a and terminates opposite to the periphery of a ratchet wheel 1'6 fixedly secured to the main shaft 4, said ratchet wheel being provided with ratchet teeth 17 on its periphery.

A driving pawl 18 for the ratchet wheel 16 is pivotally mountedon the end ofthe stub shaft 14 and depends therefrom into operative engagement withthe ratchet teeth 17. A pin 19 may beprovided in the end of the stub shaft 1 to prevent displacement of the pawl 18. I

An operating link or treadle hanger 20 for the pawl 18 is pivotally mounted upon the shaft 14 at a point'substantially central thereof; said link 20 for this purpose'carries' an eye member 21 through which the shaft 14 passes. In vorder to maintain eye member 21 in a centralized position on the stub shaft 14 coil springs 22 and 23 may be disposed on said shaft between said eye and the opposite ends of the shaft. The coil spring 23 is preferably tensioned to apply a bias: to the pawl 18 for the purpose of maintaining the pawl in engagement with the ratchet wheel; said spring for this purpose having its opposite ends engaged with the eye member 21 and the pawl 18.

The bearing 3a is provided with an auxiliary bracket arm 24 which carries a second stub shaft 25 extending parallel to the main shaft 4 and overlying the ratchet wheel 16. The stub shaft 25 supports a pivoted locking pawl 26 which is biased by gravity into operative engagement with the ratchet wheel 16,

said pawl functioning to prevent retrograde movement of the ratchet wheel between successive power strokes of the pawl. 18. The stub shaft 25 may conveniently be provided with a slight shoulder 27 to operatively position the pawl 26 with respect to the wheel 16 and a pin 28 is provided to prevent displace ment of the pawl.

Means are providedfor releasing both the driving pawl 18 and the locking pawl 26 'when desired in order to permit free rotation of the shaft in either direction. This means comprises a pawl release lever 29 shown more clearly in Fig. 4. The lever 29 is pivotally mounted on stub shaft 25 between the pin 28 and the pawl 26. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the lever 29 is positioned to lie immediately adjacent to the outside face of the ratchet wheel'16 and isbiased by gravity to a position in which the arm .30tl1eieof rests upon the hub or collar 31 of the ratchet wheel 16. As hereinbefore stated, the pawls 18and 26 both engage the toothed periphery of the wheel 16 and in order to establish an operative relation between said pawls and the lever arm 30, said pawls are provided with lateral extensions or Wings 32 and 33 overlying lever arm and arranged to be engaged thereby when the lever 29 is operated. It willof course be understood that the arm 30 engages the wings 32 and 33 from beneath and functions to raise the pawls clear of the ratchet teeth 17. Y

The pawl operating link 20 is arranged to be operated by the'foot of an operat'orand to this end'it is extended to a position nearthefioon and is providedv at its lower extremity with a foot pedal The link 20 is offset asat 35 in order to clear the bracket arm 2a and to obviate straining the associated parts of the apparatus due to abnormal side strains incident to the operation of the link 20 a strap or yoke 36 is provided opposite said ofl'set portion and embracing bracket 2a. The strap 36 has its opposite ends secured to the link 20" above and below the offset portion 35 thereof. This construction is clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The operation of the apparatus as thus far described will now be readily understood.- Upon depression of the foot pedal 34the link 20-moves downwardly oscillating the arm 12 in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Figfil -This movement serves to simultaneously rotate the ratchet wheel 16, through a driving impulse from the pawl 18, and to rotate the sleeve 8 alsoin a countenclockwise direction the arm 12, the sleeve 8 and: the pawl 18 moving together'as a unit. Due to the inclined cam faces 10 carried by the sleeve 8' and the bearing 3a, the sleeve and the parts 9 carried thereby are caused to move longitu f dinally oftheshaft 4 towards the left as viewed in-FigQ 2. :This movement of the sleeve compressesthe coil spring 9, which re sists movement of the sleeve toward the flange 5. WVh en pressure is relieved from the pedal 34, the spring 9 urges the sleeve 8 to the right as shown in Fig. 2 and 'und'er the action of the incline-dcam faces 10,.said sleeveis caused to rotate in a clockwise direction as viewed. in Fig. 1, until the shoulders 11 abut at which time the foot pedal 34is in its elevated position andthe; driving pawl 18 is inposition for anotherpower stroke.- During; the revise, I provide a gear-wheel 37 keyed to the shaft 4. Immediately above'the gear 4 and in overhanging relation with respect to the bench top'l, I mount a bench vise 38' comprising a fixed jaw 39 and a movable jaw 40.

The latter 'isprovid'ed on' its under surface with a rack 41 which is in mesh with the gear 37. By manipulation of the foot pedal 13 i as above described the movable jaw 40 of the vise may quickly move into powerful clamping engagement with the fixed jaw 39 or with a piece of work inserted therebetween. Attention is directed to the fact that by this arrangement, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2, the pawl releasing lever 29 is disposed laterally of the path of movement of the jaw at) whereby to provide for ready manipulation of said lever in all positions of the vise jaws.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that I have devised a simple, powerful and compact ratchet mechanism, including a rotary power shaft which may be readily connected to simple mechanical devices, such as a bench vise or the like; that by disposing the pawl and lever restoring mechanism concentrically with respect to the power shaft, the mechanism is made exceedingly rigid and compact; that by providing a release lever for the operating pawls the power shaft may be rotated freely in either direction when desired and that by arranging a single lever to operate both the driving pawl and the locking pawl of the ratchet mechanism, the mechanism is simplified and the number of operating elements is reduced. In conclusion, it is to be noted that while I have here shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, such illustration and description are for the purpose of example only and not for defining the limits of my invention, which are to be determined from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new is:

l. A ratchet mechanism including a shaft mounted for rotation, at peripherally toothed ratchet wheel secured to the shaft, a pawl mounted for rotary oscillation and operatively engaging the teeth of the ratchet wheel;

means for oscillating the pawl to intermittently drive the ratchet wheel, cam means associated with the pawl oscillating means for moving the pawl laterally of the ratchet wheel during the power stroke, and spring l'neans energized by said lateral movement of the pawl for restoring the pawl after the expiration of the power stroke.

2. A ratchet mechanism including a shaft, a ratchet wheel secured thereto, a driving pawl associated with the ratchet wheel, means for driving the pawl and means for restoring the pawl to normal position after each power stroke, said last mentioned means including an oscillatory sleeve mounted on the shaft and spring means tending to resist movement of the sleeve.

The apparatus described in claim 2 wherein means are associated with the sleeve for imparting thereto a longitudinal move ment when said sleeve is rotarily oscillated on the shaft. i i 1 A ratchet mechanism including a pe ripherallytoothed ratchet wheel mounted for rotation, a pawl operatively associated with thetoothed periphery of the wheel and movable rotarily and laterally thereof, means for moving the pawl rotarily todrive the wheel, cam means associated with the'pawl for shifting thepawl laterally in one direction during the power stroke of the pawl, and spring means energized by said lateral movement of the pawl, and functioning to laterally shift the pawl in the opposite direction following the expiration of the power stroke, said cam means being provided with an inclined face which functions to rotate the pawl in the opposite directionto that traveled by it during the power stroke.

5. In a ratchet mechanism including a ratchet Wheel, a driving pawl therefor and means for operating said pawl, pawl restoring mechanism including a sleeve mounted for rotary oscillation about the axis of said ratchet wheel and operatively connected to the driving pawl, a stop member engaged by the sleeve, said sleeve and stop member having cooperating inclined cam faces, and a spring member urging the sleeve against said stop member.

6. The apparatus described in claim 5 wherein the cam faces of the sleeve and stop member define cooperating shoulders which.

limit the rotary movement of thesleeve in one direction and define the normal position of the sleeve and pawl.

7. In a ratchet mechanism, a ratchet wheel, a sleeve mounted for rotary oscillation about the wheel axis, a stub shaft carried by the sleeve, a pawl mounted on said shaft and. operatively engaging the ratchet wheel, and a pawl operating member mounted on the shaft for rotarily oscillatingthe sleeve to actuate the pawl.

8. The apparatus described in claim 7 wherein coil springs are mounted onthe stub shaft on either side of the pawl operating member whereby to centralize said, member on the stub shaft. p

i 9, The apparatus described in claim 7 wherein a coil spring is mounted on said stub shaft on each side of the pawl operating member-whereby tocentralize said means with respect tothe shaft, one of said springs being tensioned between said pawl operating member and said pawl whereby to urge the pawl intoengagement with the ratchet wheel.

10. A ratchet mechanism including a shaft, a ratchet wheel secured thereto, a reciprocatory sleeve mounted on the shaft, driving means carried by the sleeve and engaging the ratchet wheel, means for actuating the driving means to advance the ratchet wheel step by step, cooperating means carried by the sleeve and a part fixed with respect thereto for shifting said sleeve laterally when the I driving means is actuated, and resilient means opposing the shifting V movement of the sleeve. I Y 1 11. A ratchet-mechanismincluding a shaft,

a ratchet wheel secured thereto; a reciproca torysleeve mounted on the shaft, driving 11182H1S5Ciff1l by the sleeve andengaging. the

ratchet wheel, :means for actuating the driv-' I ing means to advancethe ratchet wheel step by step, cooperating means 'earried by the sleeve and part lined Wltll respect -thereto for shiftingsaid sleeve laterally when the driving means is actuated, and resilient means opposing the shifting movement of the sleeve, said resilient means comprising a spring carri'ed by the shaft and engaging the sleeve. a l I 1 p 12.- i l-ratchet mechanism including a shaft, a peripherally toothed ratchetwheel secured thereto, means engaging thetoothed-periphery oftheratchet wheel for intermittently.

. driving the same, means for actuating the driving means, said driving means under the action of the actuating means moving rotameans and functioning to' restore said driv-f rilyand laterally, and resilient meansopposing the lateral movement of the driving ing means to normal position.

13; A ratchet mechanism including a shaft,

"a sleeve mountedfor rotary oscillation about the axis of the wheel, a stuh shaft carried by the sleeve, a pawl-mounted on the shaft and engaging the ratchet wheel, a link carried by the shaft for'operating the pawl and a coil spring surrounding the shaft and torsion 7 -pawl associated with the ratchet wheel,

ally tensioned betw'een thelink and pawl V I whereby/to position the link on the" shaft, and

to resiliently urge the pawl into engagement with the ratchet. l 1

' '15. Aratchet mechanism including a shaft, a ratchet wheel secured thereto, ad'riving means for driving the pawl, means for restoringithe pawl to normal position after each power stroke,saidzlast mentioned'ineans ineluding an oscillatory 'sleeve'mounted on the shaft, means associated with the sleeve for i-mparting'thereto a longitudinal movement when the sleeve is rotarily oscillated on the shaft, and spring meanstendingto resist the longitudinal movement of the sleeve and bi asing sa'idjsleeve to anormal posit on at one limitofits range of movement.

.piration-ofthe power stroke. 1 V

18. In a ratchet-mechanism, va -shaft, a

.16. In a ratchetilmechanismya ratchet wheel, an intermittently I actuated p awl' for driving the ratchet -Wh eel, means f-o'r operating the pawl, means for shifting the pawl laterally in one direction during its power stroke, spring meansopposing the lateral shifting of :the ,pawl,-said spring means arranged-to automatically shiftthe pawl laterally in the, opposite direction vat theexpira- 7 tion ,of the power'str'okaandstop meansassociated withlthe pawl, shifting means. for arresting the pawl ina position for another power stroke,

-17. In a ratchet mechanism including a V shaft, ;a ratchet wheel mounted thereon, a

pawl fon driving the ratchet wheelstep by step andmeans for intermittently actuating said pawl, the combination withrthe pawl actuating means, of means for causing ,a lateral shifting of the pawl during its power stroke,

and resilient means associated with said last mentioned :means for automatically shifting thepawllate'rallyintheopposite direction to restore the pawl'to normal position at theexratchettwheelsecured to theshaft, a pawl for intermittently driving the ratchet, and means foractuatingthe pawl,the combination with said pawl actuating means, of cam means for shiftingthe pawl laterally dur- U ing rits powerstroke, and spring means; placed u'ndercompression bythe lateral shifting of the pawlactuating means and, automatically released atthe expirationof the power stroke, whereby the pawl is restored tonormalposition following each power stroke. 1

' I19. In-a ratchet mechanism, a shaft mounted for rotation, aperipherally toothedratchet I wheel r-secured to the shaft, a sleeve mounted on the shaft for rotaryoscillation, a"'st ub* shaftcarriedby the sleeve in spaced parallel relation to the first mentioned shaft, a :driving pawl pivotally mounted on the stuhishaft and operatively engagingthe toothed periph 1 D .elfy of the ratchehwhe'el means tOi-rotarily oscillate the sleeve, a second stub shaftfixedly mountedin spacedparallel relation with the other two-mentioned.'shafts,alocking pawl I 4 stub shaft and engaging the toothed periph- A pivotally mounted onsaidsecond mentioned ery ofthe ratchet wheel to. lock" the .-same against retrograde movement, and'a pawl releasing lever ,mounted on .the secondmentioned stub shaft andmovable about the axis thereof in nea perpendicular to the axes of the three shafts and adjacent to. the ratchet wheel, said pawls being each provided with r a lateral extension overhangingthereleasing lever whereby the pawl. releasing lever may be operated to simultaneously release the driving pawl andthe locking pawl.

20. :In Iaratchet mechanism, ashaftmounh ed for rotation, a peripherally toothed: ratchet 'wheel secured thereto, a sleeve mountedfor rotary oscillation and rectilinear reciprocation about the shaft, a stub shaft carried by the sleeve and disposed substantially parallel to the first mentioned shaft, a driving pawl pivotally mounted on the stub shaft above the toothed periphery of the ratchet wheel and operatively engaging the same, means for rotating the sleeve and pawl to impart a power impulse to the ratchet wheel, cam means associated with the sleeve to shift the same laterally during rotation thereof, and spring means energized by the shifting of the sleeve, said last mentioned means functioning to retract the sleeve and pawl at the end of the power stroke. a

21. In a ratchet mechanism, a shaft mounted for rotation, a peripherally toothed ratchet wheel secured thereto, a sleeve mounted for rotary oscillation and rectilinear reciprocation about the shaft, a stub shaft carried by the sleeve and disposed substantially parallel to the first mentioned shaft, a driving pawl pivotally mounted on the stub shaft above the toothed periphery of the ratchet wheel and operatively engaging the same, means for rotating the sleeve and pawl to impart a power impulse to the ratchet wheel, cam means associated with the sleeve to shift the same laterally during rotation thereof, spring means energized by the shifting of the sleeve, said last mentioned means functioning to retract the sleeve and pawl at the end of the power stroke, and a stop for limiting the retraction of the pawl and sleeve to properly position the pawl for another power stroke.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

KARL SCHMID. 

